Dates
It is established from the below sayings that dates in general are a blessed food and are recommended in a person's diet. Certain types of dates can be used for specific remedies.
Dates were the food that Allah provided for Mary after she gave birth to Prophet Jesus under the palm tree. Allah inspired Jesus, her blessed infant, and his future messenger to the children of Israel, in one of the early miracles of his birth to say to her:
Shake the trunk of the palm-tree, and it will drop ripe dates on you, so eat, drink, and comfort your eyes (with what Allah gave you) [Quran - 19:25]
The Messenger (saw) said: The best of your dates are Berny dates, they take out disease and there is no disease in them. [Sahihah - 4/459, 460,461]
Dates in one's home
The Messenger (saw) said, O Aisha! A house that has no dates in it their family is hungry. Oh Aisha! A house that has no dates in it their family is hungry [Sahih Muslim - 153, 2046]
Abdullaah bin Ja'afar reported that he saw Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) eating fresh ripe dates with cucumber [Bukhari and Muslim].
Ajwa Dates
Ajwa is a soft dry variety of date fruit from Saudi Arabia. It is cultivated at Madina Monawara. A delightfully soft and fruity date with fine texture. There are also "imitations" or some sold an inferior quality dates and "conned" the customers as "AJWA dates" To know whether its AJWA, look closely at the dates. There are very fine white lines on the dates.
Dates for a new born child
The Messenger of Allah (saw) chewed a date and put some of its juice in a new-born baby's mouth.
Narrated by Asma: That she conceived 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair. She added, "I migrated to Medina while I was at full term of pregnancy and alighted at Quba where I gave birth to him. Then I brought him to the Prophet (saw) and put him in his lap. The Prophet (saw) asked for a date, chewed it and put some of its juice in the child's mouth. So, the first thing that entered the child's stomach was the saliva of the Messenger of Allah (saw). Then the Prophet (saw) rubbed the child's palate with a date and invoked for Allah's Blessings on him and he was the first child born amongst the emigrants in the Islamic Land (i.e. Medina). [Sahih Bukhari - 5/248]
We are glad that after 1500 years, scientists have finally discovered the Sunnah!
A dose of sugar given as a gel rubbed into the inside of the cheek is a cheap and effective way to protect premature babies against brain damage, say experts. Full article can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24224206
